Biomimetic Smart Materials and Sensors

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Biomimetic smart materials and sensorsAmy ShenWith the discovery of the plant protein forisome (Knoblauch et al. 2003), a novel nastic non-living, ATP-independent biological material became available to the designer of smart materials for advanced actuating and sensing. The in vitro studies of Knoblauch et al. show that forisomes (1-3 micron wide and 10-30 micron long) can be repeatedly stimulated to contract and expand anisotropically by the application of a pH and calcium concentration shift. Due to their unique features, forisomes have the potential to outperform current smart materials such as ATP-dependent actuators and synthetic hydrogels/polymers as advanced multi-functional smart sensors, valves, and actuators as biomimetic devices. The central goal of this project is to engineer biomimetic smart materials based on ATP-independent plant protein forisomes that will outperform conventional actuators. With many unknowns and challenges, the proposed research is highly exploratory and we will attack these issues using a combination of experiment, modeling, and numerical simulation. The high reward associated with this project comes from establishing the possibility of synthesizing a biomimetic composite with all-in-one, multi-functional (actuation, sensing) component within microdevices and morphing structures. This work will be a major advancement over existing technologies (using, for example, hydrogels, PZT, shape memory alloy) for actuation and sensing in one-piece. Forisome based biomimetic smart materials are important in civil and mechanical applications such as aircraft and small scale vehicle morphing, mechanical adaptive systems, structural noise and vibration control, and will lead to many potential applications in environmental monitoring, drug delivery, biomedical and defense applications.Broader Impact: Research and EducationThe proposed project promises to have a wide-ranging impact not only on fundamental knowledge concerning the synthesis of a new generation biomimetic smart materials for advanced actuating and sensing, but also on the area of other emerging nano-, bio-, and micro-technologies.Each year, PI Amy Shen has set aside two undergraduate research positions in her laboratory to members of Society of Women Engineering at Washington University. Mechanical Engineering junior Elizabeth Henderson has been fabricating microfluidic devices and learning AFM procedure to perform materials characterizations during Spring 2004 and will continue her research on this project starting Fall, 2004. This experience will provide students with the opportunity to learn how to work on a well-defined research project with multidisciplinary interactions in novel materials, fluid mechanics, plant biology, heat transfer, and process design.